James VI held a series of justice ayres at Jedburgh in 1601 as part of his systematic Border pacification programme, personally attending some sessions to demonstrate royal commitment. The Jedburgh justice ayres were famous for their speed and severity — the phrase Jedburgh justice (hang first, try later) entered the language. Major reiver families from Roxburghshire were summoned and those who appeared were often immediately tried and executed; those who did not appear were outlawed. The 1601 ayres were one of the most effective concentrated applications of royal justice on the Border since James V.
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